"West by South" is a term used in navigation and orientation to indicate a specific direction. It describes a point on the compass that is located slightly south of true west, approximately 247.5° on a compass. This term is often used in maritime or navigational contexts.
The phrase "west by south" is not commonly used in everyday conversation and is largely specific to navigation, thus it has a higher frequency in written contexts, especially in nautical charts, navigation manuals, and related technical literature.
Мореход настроил паруса, чтобы поймать ветер, дующий с юго-запада.
In the evening, the sun sets at a west by south angle, creating a beautiful sunset.
Вечером солнце садится под углом юго-запада, создавая красивый закат.
The compass showed that we needed to head west by south to reach the nearest port.
While "west by south" itself may not be part of common idiomatic expressions in English, it is a critical term in navigational language. However, related terms and expressions that involve directions can provide interesting context:
После той последней встречи я чувствовал, что моя карьера идет ко дну.
"Head south" – meaning to worsen or decline.
Когда экономика идет на спад, всем трудно.
"In the right direction" – meaning moving towards something positive or beneficial.
The term "west by south" draws on the combination of cardinal directions that have been used for centuries. "West" originates from the Old English term west meaning "the direction of sunset" and "south" from the Old English sūþ, meaning "the southern direction." The angular measurement "by" comes from Latin bi- meaning "two" or "twice," indicating an adjustment to the westward direction.